Councilman told to stay off his feet

Taneytown City Councilman Henry C. Heine Jr. must stay off his feet for the next eight weeks after he broke his ankle when he fell on ice in the road outside his East Baltimore Street home.

Mr. Heine is recuperating at home since he broke his right ankle Jan. 5. He had reconstructive surgery on the ankle and numerous stitches for abrasions.

"Maybe this will serve as a warning to people to clear up the ice and snow on their property," Mr. Heine said. He said he takes extra pains to clear his property because the school bus stops there.

"The ironic thing is that I had gone out earlier and spread additional salt," Mr. Heine said.

"I walked in the area where my wife's car had been parked because it was clear, but there was one piece of ice left . . . and I found it," he said.

Mr. Heine said he slipped and fell into the street and couldn't move because of the pain.

He said he sat in the road, throwing ice and snowballs at his house to get his daughters' attention for nearly a half-an-hour before being "rescued" by Councilwoman Jacquelyn Polk, who lives a few doors away.

After Ms. Polk went into Mr. Heine's home to call an ambulance, a driver stopped to see if the councilman needed any help.

"Although Jackie was there, it was nice that someone else had stopped," said Mr. Heine, who had tried to hail other drivers.

"It's good to know there are some good Samaritans left in the world."

Mr. Heine, an engineer with the Mass Transit Administration, said he is working at home while he recuperates.

Mr. Heine acknowledges it is the city's responsibility to keep public streets cleared of ice, but he said he doesn't plan to sue Taneytown.